By 1983, Davey Allison was racing in NASCAR's ARCA division and got his first Winston Cup start in 1985, becoming a NASCAR regular in 1987. Also in 1987, Davey Allison became the first rookie to start on the front row of the Daytona 500, qualifying second. He later proceeded to get his first Winston Cup victory at Talladega that same year. In 1988, the father and son, Bobby and Davey Allison, finished one-two at the Daytona 500.
On July 12, 1993, Davey Allison was piloting his helicopter, attempting to land at Talladega Superspeedway when he crashed and was critically injured. He passed away the next day. Prior to his death, Davey Allison finished with 19 victories, including winning the 1992 Daytona 500. He was survived by his wife and two children.